The wall between us
by fixusi
Summary: Kili and Fili are on their way to the Iron hills, but as they are passing through a town, they happen to book a room from the wrong inn. Things do not look good as the brothers find themselves from cells with a violent guard watching over them. How is Fili going to be able to help his hurting brother when there is a wall separating them? hurt!Kili
1. Chapter 1

An: I've been super busy the last eight days or so, but this one idea just doesn't let me go. So, here I am, writing. This will be about four or five chapters long if I don't come up with some really awesome plot-twists that I could add. :'D

Hurt!Kili

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

* * *

Fili couldn't stop himself from glancing at the woman as she stood by the door. Her eyes were the first thing that got his attention - they were the most beautiful shade of blue he had ever seen. Deep but light, like an ocean with sun piercing through the surface. And Fili could tell Kili noticing the lady too by the way he tensed a bit by Fili's side. Kili had always liked blue eyes, Fili remembered and grinned.

"It was a pleasure visiting your market", Kili politely said to the older woman behind the counter, smiling at her. Fili turned his head back to the keeper of the market and nodded. They had gotten a nice discount by being so polite strangers. The younger woman by the door was presumably her daughter.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine", laughed the shopkeeper with her fruity voice. Kili gave the old lady a quick nod and turned around, walking out of the shop Fili not far behind him.

It was only a mid-day, and sun was high up on the sky. It warmed the air and made it comfortable to walk outside without anything long-sleeved on. Fili enjoyed the warmth as they walked down the quite busy street.

"I saw you", Kili suddenly said, chuckling. Fili raised his eyebrow and exchanged a look with his younger brother.  
"Saw me doing what, exactly?"  
"Eyeing the younger lady back in the market."

Fili couldn't suffocate his laughter. "Oh, well I didn't exactly try to hide it. She had gorgeous eyes."  
"And you are into people now? You know, women, not dwarfish?" Kili questioned his brother, smirking.

Snorting, Fili shook his head. "I never said so. I just simply wondered how she could have eyes that blue. And besides, I felt you looking at her too", Fili mocked a bit, grinning at the younger one. "So don't try to accuse me of something you also did."

Kili fell silent, only letting out a dry laugh and blushing a little.

xXx

The day started to fade away as sun started to set behind the trees and mountains around them. The air began to grow colder as sun no more gave warmth, and Fili soon found himself shivering a little bit.

"We should find the inn we were told about", Kili sighed, glancing at Fili, who nodded.  
"I agree. It's beginning to get dark soon, too. And we will need a good rest before we continue our travel tomorrow."

Kili smiled, agreeing as well. They were heading towards the Iron hills where Dáin was. It had been forever since neither of them had seen Dáin, and now it was time to travel to see him and stay with him for a week or so. It had been quite a fight between the two of them and Thorin before the dear uncle of theirs had agreed to let them go by themselves. But it had been worth the fight, because at least Kili was enjoying every moment of their journey.

"Do you remember the name of the inn?" Fili asked, not recalling it himself.

"No... Uhm, wasn't it Yellow.. something?" Kili guessed, grimacing.

"Ah, yes", Fili said, "Yellow apple. Stupid name if you ask me, though."

"I couldn't agree more", Kili laughed, shaking his head. "Anyways. Wasn't it just down the street?"

"I guess so", Fili muttered. "Shall we go, then?"

And so on they went. The streets were now almost empty, the slowly rising darkness driving every sane person away. The shadows that lurked in the corners were scary even though harmless. But luckily the night looked like to turn out beautiful and cloudless.

After a few wrong turns they found the inn. It was big and looked old, a symbol of yellow apple hanging from above the wooden door. Fili pulled the door open and was greeted by stuffy air filled with smoke and the smell of beer.

The room they first came into was big and full of tables and chairs with people on them. Everybody had an ale or some food in front of them and all of them were laughing or drinking or smoking, or doing all the three. And everything was wooden, as you might guess, only the dark windows were made of something else.

Kili eyed the room and then his brother. "Well, this looks nice."  
"Yeah, I am thrilled to be here", Fili scoffed, shaking his head. He was exhausted and nothing sounded better than a good night-sleep in a comfortable bed, and if all that loud talking and chatting echoed into their room, Fili would behead someone.

In unison they took the last few steps to the counter, and behind it stood an older woman. She noticed the brothers and for a second something flickered in her eyes, but both of the brothers missed it. "How may I be of service?" asked the woman behind the counter, smiling heartily at Fili and Kili.

"We'd like to book a room", Kili said, giving the woman a quick grin. "If that is possible."  
"Oh it is", the woman replied and nodded, handing the brothers a notebook and a pen. "Could I just get your signature on the line at the bottom of the page? Only one signature is enough."

Kili and Fili exchanged a questioning look again - wondering who should sing the notebook - and Kili nodded, grabbing the book. "Yes, sure."

Fili waited calmly as Kili paid for the room and gave back the notebook and the pen. "Thank you, mister Kili", she said, looking at the signature. "I can lead you to your room now, if that is alright, of course."

"That would be great", Fili hurried to answer and flashed the woman a smile. The woman did not return it, which was slightly odd to Fili, but the dwarf just shook it off, thinking that the lady had probably just had a long day.

Walking behind the woman, Fili eyed his brother, noticing how tired Kili looked. Well, soon they would both be deep asleep. But first they intended to drop their bags into their room and order some food, eat and _then_ sleep. What a great plan for Fili it was.

After they had climbed up some stairs and turned right, the woman opened a door to one of the many rooms. "So, here it is. Feel free to explore the inn as much as you want but do not disturb the sleeping guests. Restaurant is open until three but the front door is closed at twelve", the lady explained with a calm voice and flashed the boys a smile, not showing any emotion though. The brothers stepped in to their room.

"Thank you", Kili replied unsurely, glancing at Fili. Fili gave Kili a reassuring nod as the younger of them looked a bit concerned - Fili couldn't exactly say why, but he also felt a bit uncomfortable for some reason - and the woman spoke again.

"So, if you need me, you know where to find me", she said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Kili stood there silent for a heartbeat before turning to his brother. "Something is off with that woman", he silently said, not wanting the woman to hear if she still was somewhere near.

Fili couldn't disagree with his brother. "I think so too", he sighed, shaking his head. "But we shouldn't worry over that now. What we should do is-"

Sound of keys jingling against each other cut Fili off. The sound wasn't too loud but it was audible, as if it was coming just from the other side of the door. "What..?"

As Fili spun around and was just reaching for the doorknob when the doorknob turned and made a clicking noise. "No", Fili breathed out as he tried to twist the doorknob with all his strength, finding it locked.

"Is it-"  
"Locked, yes", Fili interrupted his brother and turned to face him, not releasing the door handle.  
"Did the woman lock us in here? What for?" Kili continued his asking, growing more and more worried with each passing second.  
"Seems like it", Fili said in a low voice and shook the handle. "I'd give anything to know why, but that's not our main concern right now. How are we going to get out?"

Without any further word, Kili walked over to the window in the room and tried to lift it up, realizing it was jammed shut. "Ah, crap", Kili silently cursed as he tried to yank it open. "It's not opening as far as I can tell", he groaned as nothing seemed to make the window open. Only breaking the glass would help, but on the other hand, it would be risky to jump down. The fall was long and they would definitely break some bones when they'd land.

"So what are we going to do?" Kili asked, not giving Fili time to reply to his earlier comment. He was hoping his dear older brother had an idea like he always had - alright, Kili usually got the ideas, but they weren't the smartest kind of ideas. So he would rather trust Fili in this situation, just to be sure they'd continue their travel without any injuries.

"There is pretty much nothing we can do right now", Fili admitted, lowering his gaze a bit. His feet were sore and his eyes barely stayed open, not even mentioning the hunger. He couldn't help the hunger, but he could rest a bit and try to come up with a plan when he was not this tired. "So I say we just go to sleep and see what comes next. She'll have to let us out eventually."

"We just can't go to bed when we're being hostages or something!" Kili argued, not believing he could sleep in a situation like this where he was locked in a small room with no clue how to get out or when he'd get out.

Fili gave Kili a reassuring smile, not wanting to start a fight when it would do them no good. "Listen to me just this once, okay? We'll go to sleep and try to figure out how to escape tomorrow morning. We can't do anything when we are practically walking corpses."

Kili had to give in, because even though he still wanted to leave as soon as possible, Fili's words made sense. "First thing we do tomorrow is that we plan our escape, okay?"

"Okay", Fili chuckled. "Now go to bed."

xXx

Morning came quickly. Fili didn't even feel like he had slept, only closed his eyes for a second and then it was already a morning. But he felt a lot alert now when it was a morning, even though the hunger he felt made his stomach ache.

Kili was still sleeping and snoring soundly. Not wanting to wake up his little brother, Fili silently got up and walked over to the window, peeking down. It really was quite a drop if they jumped. It was more than three times his height, and the thought of falling all that distance didn't really interest Fili.

He had been up for no more than twenty minutes when he heard the sound of the keys again, and in one instant he stood beside his brother, shaking him almost violently.

"Wha- lemme sleep, Fili", Kili groaned half-asleep.  
"No! I think someone is coming, so wake up", Fili hissed and Kili's eyes shot open.  
"If she is not here to let us out I will hurt someone.." Kili muttered as he quickly got up, just in time to see the door opening. But it was not the woman who came in, but a strange man neither of them had seen before.

"Well, who do we got here?" the man said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "Who is this Kili who signed the paper?"

Slowly Kili raised his gaze to meet the man's eyes. "I am Kili. Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
"That is no concern of yours, yet", the man replied coldly. "If you are Kili, what is the name of your companion?" he asked, looking at Fili now.  
"I am Fili, son of Dís. And my brother here asked you some questions, it would be impolite not to answer them."

The man eyed Fili for a good few seconds before snorting. "Yeah, right. You dwarves don't need to know anything, just that you are under arrest now."

Kili's eyes widened. "What! You have no right to do that! We haven't done anything wrong."  
"That's right", Fili joined his brother, shifting on his feet and crossing his arms on his chest.  
"Oh, I heard otherwise", the man shook his head. "The lady downstairs told me you stole a family jewel from her, which he got to snap back from you and in result she locked you in here. To wait for me to arrive."

Fili couldn't believe his ears. The woman did this? "I haven't got the slightest clue of what you are talking about", he replied stubbornly. "We paid for the room and she helped us to find this room before locking us in for no reason at all!"

"Why should I believe a thief?" the man asked mockingly, eyeing both of the brothers.  
"Because we aren't thieves!" Kili almost yelled, sounding frustrated. And well, Fili could relate to him.  
"Keep your voice down, dwarf", the man snapped at Kili. "One more sound from either of you and you will regret it deeply."

Kili felt like hitting the man but controlled himself. "Do not talk to us in that way, because we are as innocent as the birds on the sky. Why can't you believe us already!"

The younger brother had no time to brace himself as the man already slapped him across the face, sending Kili to the floor. Kili stayed down as Fili started yelling at the man, who roughly pulled the older one closer and forced the rope around his wrists, despite the fight Fili put up.

"You stay there", the man hissed as he pushed Fili further and secured the other side of the rope to the doorknob so Fili had maybe two feet space to move, unable to reach his brother.

"If you touch Kili again, I will make _you _regret ever meeting us!" Fili threatened as the man approached Kili, who lifted up his face to look at his brother and the man, still on the floor.

"I will have to touch him, but if he cooperates there will be no need for violence", the man sighed and yanked Kili up, making him wince quietly in pain. "So will you do as I say or will I have to make you do as I say?"

Kili spat on the man's face. "We'll see about that", the younger dwarf angrily replied.

A yell rose from Fili's throat as the man hit Kili again.

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

An: I'd want to thank you who reviewed or followed or liked the story :) It's so nice to see you like this even though the story hasn't even properly started. So thank you!

It has been really warm today and pretty much this whole week, so I am spending a lot time outside, which leaves limited time to write. But I will try to update regularly especially now when there is practically no schoolwork to be done -last week of school before summer break and everything.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

* * *

The cell door was slammed shut after Kili was shoved forcefully in. He had to grab the wall in order to stay on his feet, and luckily he didn't fall.

As the man locked the door -a thick, wooden door with a small window on it- with his keys, Fili was already there, glaring the man angrily. Fili couldn't still fully understand their situation. Yeah, he understood that they were in a prison but the reasons behind it? Some woman apparently had something against dwarves and liked to see them suffer even though the brothers had done nothing to piss her off.

The man calmly walked away, not paying attention to the dwarves. Fili sighed, shaking his head. Kili placed his hand on his cheek and held it there, feeling the sore skin of his cheek underneath his palm. It had been a bad idea to spit at him, Kili now realized, but it had been worth it.

"How are you feeling?" Fili asked, trying to get his mind off of their situation. "Does it hurt?"  
"No, it doesn't hurt", Kili muttered, eyeing his brother a bit. "I've been through worse."

Fili let out a small, dry laugh. "Not this kind of bad, though. We've never been in a situation like this!" He couldn't help worrying. They needed to get free because Dáin was waiting for them and if they did not arrive when they were meant to arrive, Dáin would inform Thorin. And even though it was a sure thing that Thorin would save them from this mess, he would never let Fili and Kili go anywhere without him or Dís with them. That didn't sound good to Fili. He enjoyed the company of his brother and when there was only the two of them, things were straight-forward and easy.

"But there is really nothing we can do right now", Kili shook his head, collapsing on the hard, metallic bed that was placed in the corner of the room.

"Still, we haven't done anything wrong. If we only can prove that", Fili sighed. He had honestly no idea how to solve this, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try and figure something out.

Kili scratched his head, not keeping his hopes up. They had no way of proving they were innocent! Maybe, just maybe Fili could come up with an idea that would work, Kili thought, leaning his back against the wall. He could feel that his cheek was red and perhaps even a bit swollen. _Wouldn't surprise me, _Kili thought and smirked.

The guard that had thrown them in was walking somewhere nearby, Fili could hear that. His steps were heavy but pretty fast-paced, somehow threatening to be honest. And Fili already hated that man from the bottom of his heart -he had hurt Kili for no reason! That man deserved a payback and Fili couldn't wait the moment he got his hands on him. Fili had never been one for violence but hurting Kili... just no.

Few hours passed slowly. The brothers tried to chat a little but soon found it uncomfortable as they realized the guard could hear their every word. Deciding just to waste time by trying to figure out a plan how to get free, they both fell silent.

Kili found it rather hard to focus on planning things. Two or three times he tried to really concentrate and come up with a good plan, but failed every time. His mind kept drifting, and soon enough he sighed and decided it would be best to let Fili handle it.

And Fili, then? He came up with millions of ways to escape their situation in a one way or another, but every plan had a problem he couldn't solve. So he, too, failed every time he tried to figure something out.

They both had to admit it - their situation was hopeless if they didn't get any help.

So Kili acted, realizing that there was one way they could alert someone of their family.

"Hey!" Kili yelled, walking over to the door, pressing his face against the window. "Hey, you!"  
"Kili! What are you doing?" hissed Fili, trying to yank his brother away from the door.  
"I'm getting us out of here.. kind of", Kili quickly said, pulling his arms away from his brother and concentrating on the guard again. "Listen to me!"

The guard let out a frustrated cry and turned around, walking over to Kili and his brother. "What do you want now, dwarf?"  
"I believe I have a right to send a letter to my family, don't I?"

Kili's question -more like a statement- made guard laugh. "Oh! Nobody gave you the right to steal from my sister and I guess that taking some rights away from you after taking rights all by yourself is justified."

"Sister?" Fili muttered to himself, making a note of that as Kili continued.

"I also happen to know you have no evidence of me or my brother stealing anything, so that means I still have the right to let my family know I am here. Aren't I right?" Kili glared at the guard as he closed his mouth.

"Right", the guard chuckled. "Of course my master, let me just get you a pen and some paper. Which happen to be expensive in this town! I will not let you write a letter, understood?"  
"No!" Kili yelled an argument. "You cannot take my rights away from me. You are just a pathetic guard and if anyone has the right to decide that my rights are taken away, it certainly isn't you."

Fili immediately knew Kili's last sentence had been a mistake when the guard violently grabbed his keys and started to unlock the door.

"Crap", Fili breathed out. He quickly pulled Kili further from the door, stepping in front of his little brother. If the guard (that obviously needed some anger management) wanted to lay a finger on Kili, he would have to go through Fili first.

And so the door was pushed open with force. It slammed against the wall next to it and a loud bang echoed through the small cell. Fili felt Kili tense behind him, clutching the material of Fili's jacket. Kili had not waited for this kind of reaction and it had stunned him for a moment, but now he was getting back his senses.

"I dare you to say that one again", the guard growled, looking at Kili like Fili wasn't even there, standing between them.  
"You step away from us", Fili replied coldly, staring the guard. "Don't come any closer."  
"I can handle him", Kili hissed more to the guard than to Fili. "He's bigger but he isn't as good as me. Especially _us._"

If Fili would have gotten to decide he would have shut Kili's mouth there and then. But unluckily he didn't get to do that.

"He is just a foolish man who thinks he can do anything he wants", Kili started, slowly straightening his back and stepping from behind Fili, "_just_ because he is bigger than most. Stupid if you ask me."

"Kili, just shut up", Fili groaned. "You aren't helping!"  
"Neither is he! And I thought men that worked for law were supposed to be good", Kili laughed pitifully.

The guard took a step towards Kili, glaring him angrily. "What is wrong with you, you _crazy _dwarf? It is like you want me to beat you unconscious!"  
"He doesn't want that!" Fili interrupted and stepped in front of his brother. "Now go out or I will kick you out!"  
"I'm scared", the guard laughed but returned emotionless in a second. "How about you move, blondie, and I will spare you.. for now."

Kili clenched his hands into fists and as gently as he could he pushed Fili out of his way. "You got a problem against me, don't you? Leave him out of this. Or beat him if you want, like the coward you are."

That seemed to be the last straw for the guard. He plunged forward and grabbed Kili by his collar, lifting him up and shoved him harshly against the wall. Kili's back hit the wall with such a force it would definitely leave a bruise even though the pain was barely noticeable.

Kili grinned at the guard, his heart starting to race in his chest. _Do it so Fili will have time to escape if not anything else, _Kili repeated in his mind for the tenth time. His plan had changed when he first noticed the guard was in the cell with them, but to be honest, this plan might actually be a success. If only Fili would realize to move...

"What you grinning at, huh?" the guard snarled at Kili, his eyes flashing with disgust.  
"You", Kili breathed out, careful not to show how his voice shook.

"Let go of him!" Fili yelled, hitting the man with all his strength. The man flinched, hissing as Fili's fist hit his side. Guard's head snapped to Fili's direction.  
"Let go of him? As you wish", he laughed, suddenly letting go of Kili. With a small cry Kili's body hit the floor, but before the youngest of them had even recovered from that, the guard had already sent his foot to his side.

Kili's back was against the wall and as he was kicked, he had no room to move, making the hit hurt even more. He tried to cover his vulnerable body as best as he could, managing to block one blow with his arms. He could only wonder where Fili was, as he could not hear him. He kept his eyes tightly shut.

"Is that enough for you?" the man laughed as Kili couldn't hold back his yell. His body was starting to go numb from here and there and his arms felt like they would snap soon.

Part of Kili wanted the pain to end, but the other part wanted to argue with the man. Luckily, for once the rational side of him won.

"Yes", Kili breathed out, opening his eyes slowly. "F-Fili?"  
"Your brother seems to have left you alone", the guard laughed, not seeming very interested of the older dwarf.

Kili relaxed a bit, sighing in relief. _Thank Mahal, _Kili thought and smiled to himself. Fili was smart, after all. Who would have thought?

The guard must have noticed how Kili relaxed because his expression quickly changed. "But then, of course, he didn't escape if that's what you think."

Kili's eyes shot wide open and he gasped. "What did you do to him?" he almost yelled, struggling to sit up. His arms hurt, his stomach ached, his sides felt bruised. But he couldn't have cared less when the discussion was about Fili.

"Oh, I didn't do anything. I'm sure he'll hear you if you just are loud enough", the guard said and snorted, rolling his eyes. "I realized that it's best for you two to live in separate cells. Lets try if he can hear you, alright?"

Without a warning the guard pushed Kili's arm down with his foot and stepped on his wrist with his full weight. A scream escaped Kili's throat as pain exploded inside his arm and wrist. It suddenly became hard to breathe and his vision blurred as the guard shifted his feet a little, making Kili feel like his wrist would be smashed soon.

Kili just laid there, feeling numb, as the guard left. He stared blankly up, not sure if he could move his arm. But the intense, agonizing pain was gladly gone, only a steady sobbing reminding him of his recent injury.

"-li! Kili! Are you even alive anymore! Answer me! Kili!"

Huh. Had Fili been yelling his name this whole time?

Slowly Kili turned his head towards the voice that echoed through the wall. "I'm here", he said, his voice hoarse from the screaming. His voice wasn't loud but it was enough for Fili to hear him. A relieved gasp echoed past the thick wall.

"Kili, I thought you were dead or something. You were so quiet!"  
"No, still here.. F-Fili, I think he broke my wrist."

Silence answered Kili and for a moment Kili worried that Fili was angry at him. Pain that intense always messed with your mind for a couple minutes.

"It's alright, Kili. I am here."  
"You're not", Kili whispered, sighing. His head started to clear up a bit. "You're there, not here."  
"But I'm with you", Fili chuckled. "It's okay. Just don't do that again."  
"I won't", Kili replied, actually smiling a bit to himself.

Slowly he sat up again, pressing his hand tightly against his chest to protect it the best he could. He got up on his shaky legs, slowly but steadily, intending to move closer to the wall so they wouldn't have to talk so loudly -the guard was still close and Kili didn't want that he heard them.

Fili had the same plan in his cell. Quietly he made his way closer to the wall.

Just seconds after the guard had kicked Kili for the first time, some other guard had come in and took Fili away. It had been a struggle for the second guard, naturally, but somehow he had managed to success. And soon after Kili's scream had echoed into his cell as clear as a bell, breaking Fili's heart into million pieces. It had been his job to protect Kili and he had greatly failed.

It was only day, not even afternoon, but Kili felt exhausted. He fell quickly asleep while listening to his brother's soothing whispers through a small hole in the wall Fili had discovered.

Fili closed his eyes and hoped that Kili would wake up soon.


	3. Chapter 3

An: Sorry it took awhile again. These last days have been, well not busy, but full of things. Yesterday I went to Helsinki with my friend, we had a party on Saturday, and Sunday passed by in hangover, so... :'D

I re-read the second chapter and I realized it was a bit oddly written. I blame my timing - I wrote it half-asleep. I'll try not to do that mistake again! But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Btw, sorry if there are some letter "n"s missing. That button on my keyboard is a bit stiff and yeah.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

* * *

Fili didn't know when he had fallen asleep. After his brother had drifted out, Fili had simply wasted time by thinking stuff. After a while another guard had thrown him a little bit food that actually looked eatable, and Fili had eaten it with pleasure. Then he just had laid down on the hard, metallic thing that was meant to be a bed.

And the next morning he woke up disappointed to himself. Kili had been beaten last night and he couldn't even comfort him properly! He couldn't wait for the moment he could hold Kili and tell him how sorry he was for not being able to help. But for now, whispering through the hole in the wall would have to do.

"Did the guard hurt you when he took you away?"

Fili chuckled. Kili was being himself -he was the one that had a broken wrist and bruised rips, and still he was worried of his brother. Fili could imagine Kili's worried expression even though there was no way they could actually see each other.

"No", Fili said with a sure voice, in order to stop his brother from worrying. "I promise you, the guard got more bruises than I got."  
"Good", Kili breathed out, smiling to himself. He hadn't expected any less from Fili.  
"How's your wrist, then?" asked Fili in return. "Does it still feel like it's broken?" Fili hated being unable to check his brother's injuries. It felt unnatural.

Kili shook his head even though Fili couldn't see it. "I.. think so. It does hurt, and it's swollen. I can't move it."

A little huff was the only thing Fili could do to answer. "That's.. not good, I suppose."  
"It could be worse", Kili sighed as if broken wrist was nothing. But on the other hand, Kili was right. It _could _be worse. Thank Mahal it wasn't anything worse.

Silence fell on them for a little while. Neither of them had nothing to add, really.

In Kili's opinion their situation sucked. Not only because they were under arrest for something they didn't do, nor only because the guard seemed to like hurting them. Their situation sucked because they were separated and they had no way contacting anyone. If only they could send a letter to Thorin or Daín and tell what had happened.. but of course it was easier said than done.

But still, what mattered to Kili at that moment was that Fili was safe. Kili could -and would- take as many beatings as he needed in order to get Fili out of everything this unharmed. And Kili was already hurt! It would be better if only one of them had some injuries. And frankly, even if Kili had not been in many fights in his life, he had already seen and felt everything. One stupid guard was nothing.

And Fili.. Kili was his little brother, his only brother, and Fili wanted to keep him as safe as he could. Putting them in separate cells would make his task harder, but not impossible, like the guard seemed to assume. Seeing Kili in pain was agonizing for Fili, and it was even harder when he couldn't help. Even so, one foolish guard wouldn't stop Fili from comforting his brother. No power in the world could do that.

"Anyways", Kili suddenly broke the silence. "We cannot just lie here doing nothing."

Fili snorted. "And what do you suggest? Laying here is not my plan but right now there is nothing else to do."

"Maybe you're right", Kili sighed, shifting a little. He was laying on the floor with his eyes closed, facing the wall and the hole, and most importantly, his brother on the other side of the wall. Even though he had no way of seeing him, it made him feel better.

Fili was sitting with his legs crossed, leaning forward comfortably. He could see some of Kili's messy, brown hair through the small hole but that was about it -but still, it was enough for him at that moment. A glimpse of his hair was better than no brother at all. The thought somehow made Fili chuckle to himself.

Sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside the cells. Kili's eyes shot open and he sat up, eyeing the heavy door. Fili too looked at the door, waiting for someone to step in. And not many seconds went before the door was opened by the guard they had first met.

The guard was now carrying two plates with some kind of soup on them. He laid the other one on the floor in Fili's cell, told Fili to eat it and left. Fili could hear the guard opening the door to Kili's cell and doing the same thing, then calmly walking away.

Kili looked at the food cautiously. He was starving -he had not eaten anything for (soon) two days- but the soup looked disgusting. It had few pieces of clearly under-cooked meat floating on the surface and some vegetables by their side. The liquid of the soup was white and somehow a bit thick. Kili didn't want to guess what it was. A wooden spoon was thrust in it.

"I am not eating this", Kili moaned as he returned to the spot where he could talk to his brother. "This looks uneatable. Disgusting. And that meat is still raw!"

Fili couldn't help but agree. "I can't understand why this looks this bad now, when yesterday's food was perfectly fine."  
"You got food yesterday?" Kili asked, groaning. "Of course. I'm starving."  
"It looks disgusting but you should still try to eat something", Fili pointed out, eyeing his food. The vegetables looked alright enough.

Kili let out a small, dry laugh. The sudden intake of air made his ribs on the right side of his body remind of their existence, and Kili quickly decided not to do that again.

"If I eat that thing, I will throw up, Fili", he said, holding his side with his arm, cringing in unpleasant throbbing. He was glad, to be honest, that Fili couldn't see him.

"And if you don't eat anything, you will lose all your energy. I say it's worth the shot", Fili tried. "Try to eat something, please. Do it for me, alright?"

Kili rolled his eyes, and again he was happy that Fili couldn't see him. "Okay, Fili. However. What can I lose? Except the smallest bits of food that are still inside me. But okay."

"Oh shut it up, Kili", Fili sighed in frustration. "No need to be a smart-ass. I can't force you to eat, I'm only telling you what I'd do in your situation. You need energy and you won't get it by not eating anything."

"And will you eat?" Kili asked, his question coming out harsher than he had meant it to come.  
"I will at least try", Fili answered in the same tone and then told Kili to enjoy his meal, not bothering to add anything else. Starting a fight didn't really interest the older one of them. If Kili didn't want to eat, fine. It was his own loss and own problem.

Unluckily, the guard of their didn't really think the same way Fili did.

Maybe half an hour later the guard returned to bring Fili and Kili water. First he stopped by Fili's cell, naturally, as it was closer to his 'room' or 'office' or whatever it was meant to be. He handed the older brother his drink and stopped to look at Fili's bowl, which was half empty.

"You are not going to eat that, huh?" the guard asked, not sounding very happy about it.

Fili shook his head. "I'm already full."

"You are not going to eat the food that I bothered to make for you? You disrespectful, worthless _dwarf_!"

As Fili was lifted up by his collar, he knew what to expect. Maybe a couple of blows or something, and definitely a scream from Kili. Fili knew he was supposed to be scared of the guard, but he just couldn't. He was only angry. The guard was not scary even when he threatened to hurt Fili -or Kili-, just pitiful and easy to get mad at.

"Are you going to hit me?" Fili asked, staring the guard in his eyes.  
"That is not exactly my plan", the guard smirked and Fili found himself from the floor again. No blows came, and no screams from Kili came either.

"I warn you only this once. If your dear brother in the other cell has not eaten his food that I made for you, there will be no more food for you. Ever again. You disrespectful bags of filth." The guard's voice was icy.

A cold feeling hit Fili's stomach. "Okay."

The guard left without any further words. Fili was left a bit wordless and out of breath, and realization was just starting to creep on him. No food? That was not good. Not good for him but even worse for Kili. Fili kept his thoughts realistic and he knew that Kili couldn't get away without few more injuries, and that's just the way his brother was. But they had no aid to treat his injuries with, and now that guard was taking away Kili's only chance of getting a little better while locked in his cell.

Fili rushed to the little hole just before he heard that the door to Kili's cell was yanked open. Through it he tried to see what was happening -though he couldn't see anything else but the shadow of his little brother as he shot up from where he had been resting.

"I hope for your health that you ate the food", the guard growled at Kili. "Because if you did not, I will not bother bringing you anything. Ever again."

Even though Kili was a bit sleepy, he pushed himself up and glared the guard. The untouched bowl of soup was next to the wall. "That wouldn't change anything, really. The food was uneatable at least."

"I see", the guard said, eyeing the bowl and then the dwarf that stood much lower than he did. "Too bad. Come here."

Kili shook his head. "That will not happen, sorry."  
"Oh. Are you afraid of me?"  
"No. That's not it."  
"Then why?"

He took a few seconds to think. On the other hand, pissing off the guard wasn't the brightest of the ideas. But on the other hand...

But before Kili could answer, the guard spoke again. "Alright. You don't want to come here, fine. I won't go chasing you."

Kili felt like his mouth hung open from surprise. "Really?" was everything he could blur our.

"Really. But it's either you or him-" the guard continued calmly (but still coldly) and nodded towards Fili's cell, "so take your pick."

Fili wanted to hit himself. _Kili, don't do anything stupid now, let him come here,_ he pleaded silently, closing his eyes. He was the unhurt one, he could take a couple blows. Kili, on the other hand, was already hurt. Causing any more damage to his wrist could cause it to be even more painful that it already was to his little brother, and it could cause it to heal slower. It could cause infections. Just no. _This time, Kili, do what's best for you._

"Alright", Kili bluntly said, shaking his head like it wasn't a big deal. "Just leave Fili alone."

The guard smirked. "We'll see."

Kili took a careful step towards the guard, keeping his hurt wrist tightly against his chest. He prayed that the guard wouldn't hurt him badly or wouldn't hurt at all. But knowing the guard of theirs, Kili feared the worst.

Suddenly the guard yanked Kili by his uninjured wrist and pulled him closer. Not exactly close, but too close for Kili's liking.

"So my food isn't good enough for you, huh?" the guard snarled, pulling Kili by his hair and waving him around a little bit. Kili desperately tried to ease the pain by pressing his head with his good hand, but it didn't do much.

A little gasp escaped the young dwarf's lips as the guard threw him on to the ground near the bowl. Kili landed on all fours -or well, on threes, because he still kept his hurt hand against his body- and bit his lip not to cry out as his ribs felt like they burned inside his flesh.

The guard laughed out loud. "Well, aren't you a dog! And dog's gotta eat like one, right?"

Without a warning the guard grabbed Kili's hair again, pushing his face down to the now cold soup. Kili felt -and tasted- the soup inside his mouth and nose, making breathing impossible. _Is this how I am going to die? _

"Stop it!" Fili yelled from the other cell, kicking and hitting the door with all his power. "It's just soup! We'll eat it all, I promise, just stop!"

Kili struggled against the man's grip, tried to hit him and tried to kick his way free, few times managing to get his nose above the soup just to be pushed back down. The guard ignored Fili's pleas and just laughed at the struggling and kicking Kili. After what seemed like seconds to the guard and like forever to Kili (and Fili), the guard let go of Kili's hair.

Kili quickly pulled away and fell on his back on the hard floor, quickly backing away from the man. Soup was dripping down from his chin and his hair and his nose as he breathed like he had just ran for an hour straight. Every intake was a blessing even though his rips protested against it.

"Next time I bring food you will eat it all, you hear me? Not that it will happen any time soon, of course. But still." And so the guard was gone, and only his laughter echoed into Kili's cell.

Kili let his head rest against the floor as he tried to calm his breathing. He could hear Fili calling his name, but he was just too out of breath to answer. That had been unpleasant.

After he had enjoyed the feeling of being able to breath, Kili finally gathered his strength and sat up. Fili was still desperately calling his brother's name, and Kili couldn't help but smirk even though the situation couldn't have been worse.

"I'm alright", Kili replied quietly, starting to make his way to the hole. "Don't worry, I'm alright."  
"What did he do to you, Kili? I swear to Mahal that I will end that man with my bare hands when I get the chance."  
"Nothing, Fili, I am fine. Just a bit out of breath, that's all."

A few seconds went in silence, as if Fili was trying to find the right words.

"Did he strangle you?" Fili's voice was full of worry and anger, but none of the anger came towards Kili.  
"No. He.. pushed my face into the soup. Nothing to be worried about. I'm not hurt, really", Kili said with a light tone. Fili was worrying over nothing. He was okay.

Fili sighed. "Are you sure?"  
"Yes", Kili chuckled, more in order to comfort Fili than actually of happiness. "I'm sure."

Fili nodded, his eyes focusing on the glass of water. He picked it up and measured it with his fingers -the wooden mug was just low enough to fit through the hole. Calmly he slipped it through and to Kili. He needed it more.

"What is this?" Kili asked, raising the water. "I mean, it's clearly water, but where did you get it from? The guard?"  
"It's from him", Fili replied. "You need it more than I do, so go ahead. You should drink it."

Kili was silent for a moment. "Are you sure?" he asked, holding the cup of water. It was so tempting idea. But it was Fili's..

"Yes", Fili grinned. "I'm sure."  
"I'll drink the half and you get the other half, okay? I won't need it all", Kili tried, but Fili turned him down.  
"No, just drink it. I ate half of the soup anyways, I got liquids from it."

Kili smiled, eyeing the cup like it was the most important thing in his life. "Thank you", he said and took a sip. And then another, and another, and so the water was gone.

Fili grinned to himself as Kili pushed the empty cup back. He was pretty thirsty too, but he could manage. _Kili is hurt,_ he reminded himself, _a__nd sooner or later I'll get out out of here. I'll manage. _

_TBC_

* * *

So I get that the guard is being mean, but I assure you that there is a reason behind his actions. I hope you liked the chapter. :) Leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

An: Thank you all for the nice reviews ! :) I'm soo happy that you like this story.

Big thank you to Shreeg for helping me out with this chapter! Mahal knows how this chapter would have turned out without your guidance :'D

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

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Few days passed in boredom. Once they got large, but hard bread to eat, and both of them ate it like they had never seen food before. After their meal they got mugs of water and the brothers drank those with pleasure. The next day Kili threw up from hunger, although he had nothing to throw up. Fili started to grow tired, maybe even exhausted at times, and slept most of the days.

On the plus side, the guard left them alone for most of the times. He passed by a few times per day, but only once he got violent. He pushed Kili to the ground for throwing up. The push itself wasn't hard or violent, but Kili landed painfully on his wrist. He complained for hours later that it still hurt.

And well, they spend every moment they weren't asleep talking to each other. Quietly whispering through the hole so the guard couldn't hear what they were saying. They talked about everything -how they wished they'd just kept walking or booked a room from a different inn, how they both missed good food and peaceful sleep, the funny incidents that happened in their childhood and tons of other things.

Boring.

Kili snapped out of his almost peaceful sleep as someone yanked the door open. He struggled to stand up just in time to see some other guard storming in. That guard was a lot heavier than the one they were used to see, he was taller and way uglier with his small eyes and face full of scars.

"I'm in rush here but that son of a bitch called Johnny forced me to deal with you two today. I have no time to listen to your whispers to each other, and even if I did, it is annoying as hell! So to keep things simple, you, get here!"

The younger dwarf had pretty much no time to react before the guard groaned and stepped forward, grabbing Kili by his wrist and pulling him out of the cell.

"No!" Kili yelled in near-panic, not wanting to leave Fili. This new guard was a lot scarier than the guard he had learnt to hate and to be honest, Kili was scared. This one was obviously more violent than the other and showed no compassion towards Kili. "Leave me in the cell! Don't touch me!"

"Shut up!" the guard snapped at Kili, who was now being dragged down the hallway. They passed Fili's door, and Kili glanced at it almost desperately. It was hard not to fall down. Kili could hear Fili's yells for his brother echoing from the other side of the door.

Despite all the struggle Kili put up, he had not enough power to stop the man from dragging him where he wanted to. And soon, after a turn to right and two turns to left in the maze-like building, they arrived to a bigger room. The room had poor lighting and the air smelled old. There were three poles that went all the way to the ceiling, maybe holding the roof up, Kili didn't know (but also didn't care).

Kili was thrown to the ground, and luckily he had just enough time to protect his still aching wrist. His ribs fired up as he hit the ground, and a moan escaped his lips. He rolled on to his back and slowly sat up, glaring the new man angrily. "So what now?" Kili asked harshly.

The guard didn't bother to answer, only reached down to one of the drawers and pulled out a thick rope. He held it in air and gave Kili an unpleasant grin. "Guess."

* * *

"Kili!"

Panic was starting to settle inside him. Had someone just seriously taken away his little brother? Fili felt anger rising inside him. Couldn't the man take him instead of Kili? No, of course not. Of course it had to be _Kili. _

Fili hit his fist to the door with all his power, and didn't even feel the sting of pain that followed afterwards. He was too angry -and too worried- to notice such things.

He had to do something. He couldn't just stand there when Kili was Mahal-knows-where! He could be even more hurt by know for all Fili knew. He _had _to do something. Still, there weren't many options. Escaping was the first thing that came to his mind. And, well, naturally it sounded better than good. But it was easier said than done.

Although he was worried sick and so angry he could probably stab the guards, he couldn't concentrate on anything. He would run his fingers through his hair over and over again, not really thinking of a way to solve this problem of his. His mind kept going back to the same thought -what if Kili is hurt?

"Okay, calm down", Fili muttered to himself, forcing himself to take a deep breath in. "Count to ten."

One._  
_

Two._  
_

Three._  
_

Four._  
_

Five...

"This is hopeless", Fili cried out, collapsing on to his bed. It wasn't helping. _He_ wasn't helping Kili like he should. He almost hoped that some of the guards would come to his room so he could stab someone.

Fili froze. Stab. He had forgotten..?

Quickly he jumped up and ran to his jacket that laid on the floor; the air in the cell was rather warm and you didn't need a jacket in there. Fili grabbed the piece of material and opened it with a bit shaky hands. _Please, be in there._

And for once the luck was by his side. It was still there. His dagger was still in the pocket inside his jacket. The same dagger he had not dared to use before because letting the guard see it could -actually, would- have made their situation even worse. And because their situation couldn't get any worse than this, Fili had nothing to lose. He would use the dagger to escape. Not a good plan but it was the best he got.

The dagger was actually small. (Fili had a collection of knives back home but this was the one he took with him if he ever left their yard.) The dagger was small enough to be missed by others but quite effective when used. One time some man had come to him, threatening him and telling him that if he didn't give the man all his money, the man would end Fili's life. The man had burst out laughing when Fili drew out his dagger, but after a slash or two the smile was gone, and so was the man. He didn't die, naturally, if that's what you're thinking, no. The sharp end of the dagger had been really sharp and scared the man away.

Fili smiled to himself as he dropped the jacket and eyed his trustworthy weapon. Slowly he approached the door, hoping that the dagger would do the trick and unlock the door. His mind was still wandering a bit, but Fili forced himself to concentrate. He would do this one way or another. He wouldn't leave his little brother alone out there.

* * *

It took all of Kili's self control not to cry out when the first blow landed. Apparently pissing off this guard wasn't the smartest thing to do. He hadn't even meant to argue with him! Kili had only told the new guard that he wasn't, in any ways, related to goblins. How would he have known that this guard always thought that he was right about everything and no one could tell him otherwise?

So the guard had kicked him to stomach. Unable to protect himself in any ways -Kili's arms were tied together on the other side of the pole, making moving impossible- the kick felt even worse than it normally would have. Thank god the guard had been smart enough not to tie the rope around his wrists, as the other one was broken, but around his elbows. Maybe the position of his hands was a bit awkward and uncomfortable but it didn't hurt like it would have hurt if the rope had been around his wrists.

The second blow made Kili gasp and curl down as much as he could, pain waving inside his stomach.

"As I said, I am in hurry", the guard sighed, looking down to Kili. The young dwarf looked pathetic if you asked him. "I must check on the other dwarf before I do my work. I'll be gone for fifteen minutes, and if you have moved by the time I return, you'll be dead."

Kili glanced at the man and nodded, deciding that arguing was just a waste of time and that it was just a bad idea. Kicks to stomach weren't exactly his favorite things to experience.

"Good", the man muttered and left as if he was in hurry. When the man was nowhere to be seen or heard, Kili sighed. Worry over Fili took over his mind -where was he? Still in his cell was Kili's guess, but he could never know. Though, he wished for Mahal's sake that Fili was safe in his cell or escaped.

Hunger growled inside his stomach, and the uncomfortable throbbing of the kicks made Kili nauseous. His wrist that probably hung limp behind his back -and the pole- ached, but it was bearable. It felt more like something was missing than that it actually hurt. The feeling of a broken bone was a strange feeling.

Not many minutes passed before the guard's footsteps echoed on the hallway again. They were heavy and fast, as if he was angry. Kili closed his eyes, not wanting to see the man if he really was pissed for some reason. Angry guards meant nothing good, that Kili had learnt by now. And indeed, the yell the guard let out made Kili flinch and open his eyes.

"_Dwarf_! Where is he!?"

Where is who, was the first thought that crossed Kili's mind but in half a second he got it. Fili wasn't in his cell. A slight smile rose on Kili's lips as he realized that Fili had gotten out.

"Who?" Kili asked, playing dumb. He eyed the guard curiously, acting as well as he could.  
"The blond dwarf! The brother of yours! Where is he?" The guard's voice was furious.

Kili's eyes widened as he played the role he had chosen to play. "He's not in his cell?"

The guard knelt down in front of Kili, grabbing the collar of his shirt. Kili bit his lower lip and tilted his head away from the guard, taking a deep breath in, not really liking where this was going.

"Listen here, you stupid little piece of crap. You have two options. Number one is that you tell me where he is, and number two is that you cry and tell me where he is. Are we clear?"

Kili sighed. "We are, but there is a slight problem there. My apologies, but I don't happen to know where he is. I wish I knew, though."  
"Don't play games with me, dwarf, I warn you." The grip around Kili's collar tightened and two eyes glared at him murderously. "A few kicks to stomach are just the beginning of what I am capable of."

"I am sure of that", Kili forced a dry laugh out, "but honestly, I have no idea of where he could be. Far away from here is my guess. You are just wasting time by asking me about his current location. How could I know when I'm locked in here?"

The punch that followed was not something Kili had been expecting. His head snapped to his right from the force of the guard's fist and a cry escaped his lips.

"Wanna try that again?"

Kili blinked a few times, giving himself some time to get used to the new pain on his cheek. He was getting tired of all the kicking, hitting, showing, strangling and hurting. He wanted to go home.

"I asked you a question!" the guard yelled, forcing Kili's head straight so Kili had no options but to look at the man.

He was tired of the constant hurting and aching and throbbing, and he missed his own bed and he missed Thorin and he missed his mother and he missed Fili. But he wouldn't give up so easily. Fili was out and would come rescue him in no time.

Kili braced himself as he blurt out an insult and spat at the man.

* * *

Fili ran down the corridors. He thanked Mahal - he had managed to sneak out and hide just before the guard came. And because the guard had noticed his disappearance and had rushed back to the direction he came from, Fili knew it meant nothing good for his little brother. And that's why he was in hurry.

Dagger in the other hand he sprinted down the hallways, but gosh, the building was like a maze. At every turn he had to choose a way he thought was the right way and he always had to look out for more guards. Fili wasn't even sure where their original guard was, but he hoped that he was nowhere near.

And so he kept running.

* * *

Kili moaned. The guard had cut his ropes and let Kili free, but only because it was easier to use him as a punching bag that way. And now Kili was laying on the floor, holding his stomach with his still unhurt hand. He felt like throwing up -too many punches to the stomach and chest area.

"This is the last time I ask this. Where is your brother?" yelled the guard again. Kili slowly glanced at the man, grinning at him somehow weakly.  
"Even if I knew, I would not tell you."

Another kick. This time to his back.

Kili twisted his back as straight as he could and grimaced because of the pain. He took a couple deep breaths in, trying to calm his racing heart down a bit.

"You know what, dwarf? You know why I hate you so much?"  
"I'd love to know, actually", Kili breathed out sarcastically.

The guard nodded and lowered his body so he could grab Kili instead of kicking him. Kili cried out as the man suddenly pulled Kili up by his hair, forcing Kili to stand up. "It's all your fault. You dwarves.. your love for gold."

Kili glared the man, wanting to throw up. The thought of throwing up on the man made Kili grin, but still he decided to control himself. He had never felt this weak. His body was aching and his head hurt uncomfortably. Why was Fili taking so long?

"When Smaug came because of you, it destroyed Dale. It got my grandfather killed, as well as his daughters and wife. Most of their friends. It almost killed my father, too."

Punch. On the same cheek as last time - Kili tasted blood in his mouth - and a sting of pain.

"In Dale my family was a rich family. Now, here.. We are poor. Everyone lives in poverty."

Another punch. This time Kili let out a yell and grabbed his nose, as it started to bleed. _What have I done to deserve this? _Third punch, and the man let go of Kili's hair. Kili's body met the floor and to be honest, he was happy to lay there. It felt better. Still, most of his body hurt.

"I don't know if you know what it's like to see your family members suffer like that. It is your fault that my father lost his mind! He once had everything and then you dwarves had to ruin it!"

Kili didn't even feel the kick that followed. He was too exhausted. He just wanted to sleep.

"And I am not even the only one who your actions affected. I'm sure you've noticed that your own beloved guard, John, that usually takes care of you, has some issues against you two as well.."

Kili was too tired to keep his eyes open. He had not eaten well for many days, he had been constantly hurt by the men, there hadn't been a minute that nothing ached.

And little by little the world darkened around Kili until it was all black and the hard, cold ground felt soft and just perfect.

* * *

Okay so now you know why the two of them seem to hate Fili and Kili so much. Poor Kili just draws their attention to himself and Fili is left mostly unharmed. There will probably be two or three chapters after this, but I can't say anything for sure. :'D

Review!


	5. Chapter 5

An: Sorry sorry sorry sorry! Just sorry. :{ I have no excuses for updating this late. Just a big thank you to everyone who reviewed or left a favorite or a follow!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit

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He felt like he had run around aimlessly for... for a very long time. Deep inside he knew it was ten or fifteen minutes at tops, but it felt like hours. The time passed by as he ran inside the labyrinth they were supposed to call a building, trying to find his brother.

And at last he came to a room.

The guard that had taken Kili away sat by his desk, facing the furthest wall in the room. He had his back to Fili and had not yet seen him coming. And in the middle of the room, close to a pillar, was Kili. Fili's blood ran cold as he stared his little brother, who was just a brown-gray mess. His brown hair covered his bruised face but it was his whole substance that horrified Fili. He just looked so broken somehow.

Fili's eyes returned to the guard who was clearly pissed off. His shoulders were tense and his head hung low. _What am I going to do with him? _Fili wondered, his eyes flickering in disgust. _This man hurt my brother. He deserves to be hurt. _But at the same time, he didn't think he could cause the man too much pain. Fili had never in his life hurt anyone badly. Once he and Kili had been sitting on their roof and he accidentally had pushed Kili down, but he had landed softly and hadn't gotten any long lasting injuries. And that time didn't even count.

_I have my dagger, _Fili reminded himself and quickly eyed the trustworthy blade he held on his palm. _I could use it against the guard. _

His eyes traveled to his brother again. But what if the guard threatened Kili after discovering Fili? Kili had no way to defend himself in that condition -unconscious or not- and Fili would end up captured again. And both of them would end up in even more pain.

_There is only_ _one way I can attack the man without putting Kili in danger, _Fili soundlessly sighed. _I'll have to lure the guard out of here. Which brings up another problem -some other guard might find, hear or come to us- but that's a risk I will have to take. _

Fili glanced at his brother one last time before he turned back and walked silently away. The corridor made a turn maybe fifteen meters from the room, and there Fili stopped. His heart beat fast in his chest as he nervously rolled the dagger inside his fist. _Now or never. _

"Hey! Anybody here?" Fili called out from on top of his lungs and waited for something to happen. And soon enough he heard the guard getting up from his chair with such a force it fell down and made a loud crash.

Quickly Fili hid behind the turn and flattened himself against the hard wall. He took a deep breath as he heard the guard running towards him. And then-

"Wha-" the guard managed to yell just before Fili sunk his dagger into his stomach. The guard let out a cry and clasped his fingers around the handle of the dagger. Fili felt the guard's fingers around his own, squeezing so hard that it actually hurt a bit. It was still not enough for Fili to release his grip.

Fili twisted the dagger inside the guard and the man doubled over in agony. Fili felt adrenaline rushing in his veins and gritted his teeth as the guard tried to kick him off, managing to bruise Fili's leg for sure. But Fili stood still and used the moment of advantage to push the man down. He fell hard on his back but the dagger stayed inside Fili's fist.

"Leave us alone!" Fili yelled, kicking the man to his knee with all his force. "We have done nothing to deserve this, and now is the time for a little payback!"

The guard let out another cry as Fili kicked him again. Fili just wanted to scream with all his voice at the guard for making their lives miserable. He knew that they had met this guard just today, but it didn't change anything. He had hurt Kili. He was a friend to the man who had tortured them for days. And it was enough for the older Durin.

"You have made my brother suffer more than anyone should ever suffer!" Fili cried in frustration. He wanted to kick the man over and over again until every limb in his body was numb from pain. "You all kept us in hunger for days! Without blinking an eye?"

Kick, and another kick. The guard tried to stop the blows with his hands but when Fili's foot collided with his fingers with a bone-breaking force, the guard gave up trying to block the hits.

"If you care about your brother so damn much, why are you here kicking me when he's in there, struggling to breathe!?" the guard yelled as an answer, tears running down his face. Fili had never used so much strength to hurt someone, and even Fili's foot was starting to ache.

"I can't leave you here, can I?" Fili answered coldly, taking a deep breath. He let his foot drop down next to his other one as he realized that the guard was right.

"Just leave me, alright? I won't come after you!" the guard growled in anger but also in fear. Fili was furious and the guard knew it - he valued his own life more than he valued the thought of two random dwarves being their prisoners. "Or bind me! I will cooperate, I swear you, 'kay?"

Fili let out a laugh. "That's a great idea! How can I know that as soon as you get up you won't attack me?"  
"Hell I will! You probably broke my knee, dwarf! I'll be lucky if I get to the office!"

The office -Fili assumed it was the room he had been in previously and where Kili still was- was maybe fifteen meters away. Fili had to get to his brother soon, because Mahal knows in which condition he was! He could be dying for all Fili knew. So alright, moving the man to the office and tying him was the only option Fili had.

"Okay", Fili sighed, pointing the guard with his bloody dagger. "But if you make one wrong move, this dagger will be inside your skull." It was only a threat, Fili thought, but he couldn't mess this up now. But on the other hand.. Fili wasn't sure anymore. Was it only a threat or a real thing?

"I get you, just don't kill me", the guard replied, nodding. He held his hands over his stomach and blood was starting to turn his white shirt crimson red.

Fili took a step backwards to give the man space to get up. Slowly he struggled on his feet, and his other leg did seem to be hurt. Fili grinned at the sight of the limping man, but he felt a sting to his heart. It had been right to hurt the guard, but _Fili _hurting someone? The thought was unpleasant. He didn't want to be like them. But he had to -for Kili.

Their way to the office was slow and a few times Fili thought of kicking the man back down and leaving him there, but that was an option he couldn't do. He didn't trust the man in the slightest and he couldn't risk their freedom now. If they got caught now..

Finally they entered the room. Kili had moved a bit -maybe in his 'sleep'- but not much. But he had moved, and it was enough for Fili.

"Sit by the pillar", Fili ordered, and the guard obeyed without hesitation. He limped to the pole and sat next to it, his back against the thin pillar. He held his legs straight in front of him -maybe Fili had used a little bit more strength than necessary.

"The rope is in the drawer of my desk", the guard quietly told the older dwarf in the room, pointing at the desk in the corner of the room. "The bottom one."

"Thanks", Fili replied uncertainly, slowly turning away to the desk. As he opened the bottom drawer and grabbed the rope, he turned around as fast as he could, only to see that the guard had not moved an inch. _Is this guard.. trustworthy? _Fili wondered but immediately laughed it off. Never.

On his way back to the guard, Fili glanced at his brother. Kili was moaning slightly in his sleep, a whining noise escaping his lips. Fili felt cold shivers run down his spine as he continued to look at his brother, and quickly turned his head back to the guard.

"He's alive", the guard sighed, shaking his head. "No need to peek at him every other second."

Fili couldn't help a little laugh. "What I am doing is none of your business, really."  
"Just trying to be polite", the guard replied with annoyance in his voice and shrugged, "but alright."

The older Durin in the room knelt down behind the man, rolling his eyes. He roughly pulled the rope around the guard's wrists and tightly secured it. The guard might seem like he was sorry, but Fili couldn't take risks. The guard was probably just trying to get Fili to trust him and afterwards attack again, or he was planning to do something else that would cause the brothers even more pain.

A groan echoed from Kili's direction and from the corner of his eye Fili could see Kili trying to raise his head a bit, as if trying to see what was going on.

"Kili!" Fili let out a relieved yell as he got up and ran to his brother. Fili was by Kili's side in matter of seconds, helping his brother to sit up. Kili was pretty out of everything, his eyes were a little bit glassy and he looked tired, but otherwise he seemed almost fine.

Kili blinked a few times and then slowly turned his head to see Fili. Fili's hand was on Kili's back, supporting him and rubbing his back gently. Kili's eyes first widened and then watered as he recognized his brother was there. Fili was _finally _there. Kili didn't even need to say anything, because Fili already understood what Kili was feeling, and he gave his younger brother a reassuring smile.

A weak hand curled around Fili's own and Kili flashed a grin to his brother. "Took you long enough."

"But I came, didn't I?" Fili laughed, now genuinely, and shook his head a little. "Kili, I really hate to do this, but we must go. Sooner or later someone will notice that I am gone and they will come after me."

As Kili nodded and pushed Fili away to stand up on his wobbly legs, Fili noticed that the skin around Kili's other eye was a bit swollen and purplish. He shrugged it off, though, trusting his brother to tell him if it really was something worse than a bruise. And by now Kili must have known everything there was to know of bruises. Fili hadn't seen his body but he was quite sure it was full of bruises different size and color.

It took a moment but finally Kili was upright, leaning against the wall to regain his balance. Fili started to grow impatient, knowing that they had no time to waste. But still he couldn't make himself order Kili to move.

Luckily it didn't take long before Kili thought he could move forward and so they left. The guard yelled after them, but neither of them answered. Kili didn't want to, and Fili couldn't have cared less.

They came to the first intersection and took the way both of them guessed was the way out. Fili noticed that Kili was going slower and slower with each passing minute and wrapped his arm around Kili's shoulder in order to help his brother out a bit. In no time Kili was leaning on his brother so heavily that is almost hurt, but Fili kept going. They needed to get out as soon as possible, they could think of everything else afterwards.

"Damn", Fili breathed out as they came to a crossing Fili had never seen before. "We must have taken the wrong turn somewhere." He mentally slapped himself. They didn't have the time for this.

"No", Kili shook his head, sounding exhausted. "I've walked here.. we go forward."  
"Are you sure?" Fili asked, doubting his brother a little.  
"I am", Kili sighed, nodding. "Forward."

Fili huffed. "Okay."

And when they finally came to the cells again, Fili was actually surprised. He knew the way out from here on. He hadn't thought Kili could remember the way out of the main-building or whatever it was, but he had been wrong. _Luckily._ Fili was a good tracer in the nature but buildings like that? Not his thing.

"We're almost out, Fili", Kili suddenly said, joy in his voice. He sounded tired but happy.  
"I know. We've almost made it", Fili replied with a proud grin. "Just a bit more."

* * *

Thorin didn't allow himself to worry.

Yes, he knew that Fili and Kili never arrived to Iron Hills but that didn't necessarily mean that they were in trouble. Perhaps they found a girl or drank too much some night somewhere.. he didn't know.

_For Mahal's sake, let them be okay,_ Thorin thought to himself as he rode forward. Honestly? He was a little concerned. But he didn't let himself to worry too much. There were many options. And trouble was just one of them.

The pony under his weight was the fastest one he could find. Well, Dwalin could find, but that was a small detail. The pony was the fastest and that was all that mattered. Thorin was glad that he and his nephews planned their route to Iron Hills before they left, so he knew where they had passed through -or where they were still in, who knows.

He had gone through two villages already, both of them during one day. It was late, but he wouldn't stop before he got some clues of his sister's sons, that he had promised to Dís. Oh, the boys were never going to go anywhere without him or Dís anymore, he would make sure of it.

The pony ran fast and Thorin kept an eye on the surroundings until he came to another village. Village of men, to be exact.

It was late and the village was pretty quiet already, but some people still wandered around the city. Thorin thanked Mahal for this; he had someone to ask advice from.

As far as he knew, this was the village his nephews were meant to stay the night. _So they must have booked a room from an inn from here,_ Thorin realized, shaking his head. This town wasn't big but it was big enough to have more than one inn. That meant a lot of asking around.

"Excuse me", Thorin spoke, greeting some old man. "I'm trying to find my nephews, Fili and Kili. I think they have booked a room from an inn here, but I'm not from around, so could you suggest me some inns where they might have gone?" _Straight to the point. I have no time to waste if they happen to be in trouble. If they are not, I will strangle them with my bare hands for making us all worry so much. _

"I see", the man said with a warm smile. "Are your nephews dwarves as well?"

_Stupid question. _"Yes, they are. Have you seen them?"

"Oh, I have", the old man replied and nodded, probably feeling wise. "I saw them a few days back at a market. Really lovely fellas. They were very polite."

Thorin nodded, feeling somehow proud of his nephews even though he had never expected less from them. "That is wonderful. Do you happen to know anything else besides that?"

The man thought for a while, and Thorin waited in anxiety. Finally the man spoke again. "Hmm, I think they headed towards an inn here nearby. I can show you the way there if you want to. This village is easy to get lost in with these many turns and twists and roads."

"That would be appreciated, thank you", Thorin smiled at the man.

* * *

"We need to go faster!" Fili breathed out as he half pulled, half dragged his brother a bit behind himself. "We have to, Kili, do you understand me? If they catch us again-"

"I know", Kili groaned, holding his broken wrist tightly against his achy stomach as they ran. Fili was holding him by his other wrist, causing Kili's shoulder to numb.

The guard they had first seen was yelling their names in the distance -but not far enough. If the guard just looked at their direction, he'd see them both. Thank Mahal he had not seen them yet.

"This hurts", Kili whined, holding his wrist even more tighter against his body, in order to help his aching sides and his aching wrist. All the jumping and shaking from the running did no good to him.

Fili gritted his teeth as he ignored his brother. He knew Kili was hurting, he knew that Kili was exhausted and probably could not run for a long time anymore, but they couldn't stop now. His heart ached of the knowledge of all these things but they could _not _give up now, no matter how hard it was to keep running. Fili would carry Kili if it came to that.

And then it happened. The guard let out a happy scream and bolted after the brothers. And Fili prayed Mahal to keep them safe.

_TBC..._

* * *

Review!


	6. Chapter 6

An: Hey, it hasn't been a week! Good job, me :'D anyways, I intended on writing earlier but mid summer's eve and mid summer's day (?) came and I had to celebrate. I've also had work from 9am to 4pm every day, and after it I've been with my friends, so my time at home has been a little limited. This week is work anymore, though, so after it I'll have more time to write again (since I usually continue the chapters soon after I've woken up).

**Warning:** So, I think the one scene (more like sentence, though) in this chapter isn't for the most sensitive readers. I'm not sure about it though, but better be safe than sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

* * *

"So.. this is the inn?" Thorin asked, eyeing the wooden door of a seemingly large building. The man next to him nodded, his eyes on the door as well.

"Yes, this is the one your nephews -was it nephews?- stayed the night as far as I know."

Thorin sighed with a small smile on his lips. How he hoped those two troublemakers would be in there, sleeping, or doing whatever they did. He wouldn't even be mad at them -Thorin noticed for his surprise- only relieved. Surely he would keep them a long rant about going missing like that, but no, he wouldn't be angry.

As he took a step closer to the door, Thorin glanced at the man and thanked him. The older one nodded as an answer and turned around to walk away. It was already past his bedtime and he needed to go to bed. Home was where he would head next. Helping people was always a joy, but at that moment sleep was what he fancied the most.

With a firm hand Thorin pushed the door open and immediately the smell of smoke and beer and food filled his nose. Was it a restaurant, or was it a pub, the room he came to first? Thorin couldn't tell, but it didn't matter. The room was full of different kinds of people. Most of them were passive and drank their ales without speaking a word, but others were noisy and cheerful. Some of the men in the room had plates full of food in front of them and on one table even was a whole grilled chicken.

Thorin shook his head a little as he stepped further into the room. He had never appreciated eating more than was necessary and some of these men.. just wow.

The only dwarf in the pub/restaurant walked to the counter and faked a cough to get the lady's attention. The lady looked tired and a bit pale, as if she hadn't slept well. It didn't stop her from flashing Thorin a quick smile, though.

"Hello and welcome to the Yellow Apple. What could I do for you?" the lady asked nicely, eyeing Thorin with a weird twinkle in her eyes.  
"I came to look for my nephews, and I was told that they booked a room from here", Thorin started, shifting on his feet. That woman made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"I suppose your nephews are dwarves as well?" the woman laughed, waving her hand a little bit. Thorin took a deep breath and shook his head, not believing people were actually that stupid. "Oh, foolish me. Of course they must be dwarves", the lady continued and sighed.

"Have you seen them?" Thorin asked, wanting answers. He was also growing tired, but he couldn't go to sleep before he found his nephews or knew that they were okay. They might not survive the night if they happened to be in deep trouble, and even though Thorin didn't quite believe that was the case, he just couldn't risk it.

"Sorry to disappoint you, no", the lady said with a sad grin. "But there are many other inns in this village! Have you tried them?"

Thorin shook his head, getting angry. This woman _had_ to know something. He would not accept 'no' as an answer now. "My source told me they came here, and I have no reason to doubt his word. Some instinct in my head tells me that you are not a woman that I should trust, so let me ask it again, where are my nephews?"

The woman's eyes narrowed on Thorin as she took a deep breath. "Alright. Follow me."

"No", Thorin replied coldly. "Whatever you need to say, you can say it here and now."

Silence fell on them for a heartbeat. Someone behind Thorin accidentally knocked down an ale and the sound of wood hitting wood echoed into their ears, as well as beer splashing on to the floor.

"If you say so", the woman finally said, rolling her eyes. "They stole a piece of jewelry from me and I had to inform the guards. As far as I know, they are held in the cells on the other side of the village, just as your filthy nephews deserve."

* * *

Kili let out a yell as his leg knee gave up under him and he crashed down to the thankfully soft ground. Fili stopped immediately, kneeling down beside his groaning little brother. His heart beat fast in his chest from all the adrenaline in his blood and from all the running and fear. Fili admitted it; he was scared.

"You have to get up", Fili breathed out as he shot a quick glance to the guard running at them. "If he catches us-"  
"I know!" Kili cried and raised his head, "But I can't! I can't run, I- I'm too.. too tired, too sore, Fili! I just can't."

The darkness surrounding them made it hard to see where exactly the guard was. But Fili knew that they didn't have long before the guard would get to them -one minute maybe, two if they were lucky. They didn't have time for this.

"Kili, please", Fili pleaded, laying his hands softly on Kili's chest. "I know you're hurt, but the guard will probably kill us if he catches us now!"

The tough thing was that Fili wasn't even joking. He knew that if the guard got them again, they would be dead in matter of hours, if even that. Fili knew that the guard would kill them slowly and Kili would be the first one to die due to the injuries he already got, and just to make Fili suffer more.

"I'm sorry", Kili whispered, tears now streaming down his red cheeks. "You go, it's better that way, s-since I can't.."  
"You _can_", Fili replied with a sure voice. "And I am not leaving you. I'll help you up, Kili, and we are not giving up, can you hear me? Not now, when we are this close escaping that.. that hell."

A smile crossed Kili's lips as he nodded. A soft thank you escaped his lips as Fili placed his hands on Kili's back, and together they stood up.

But the guard was close. It didn't take long before Fili noticed that the distance between the two of them and the guard shortened by every passing second and it wouldn't take long before the guard could grab the ends of their shirts.

Fili's heart raced as he needed to decide what to do next. They were doomed no matter what they did now. Kili was too exhausted to run fast and even if he could have run well, it would still not be fast enough. A miracle was what they needed in order to survive.

And at that moment an idea flashed through Fili's mind. Maybe they didn't need a miracle after all. Just a bit of luck and skill would do the trick.

With a smooth move he had laid Kili on the ground, and gratefully the younger Durin accepted the moment of peace from all the running. Fili glanced at the running guard that was now closer than ever, and then shot a quick smile at his brother, who looked up at Fili with a confused face.

"Don't worry", Fili whispered, "we'll be alright."

* * *

Thorin had never been in such hurry. Not even when Smaug had attacked to Erebor and had torn apart everything Thorin had ever known, including many of his friends, many from his family, many of his kin. He was in hurry now, because Fili and Kili were honestly the things he loved the most in this world where he had almost nothing left. There was no Frerin, no Thrain, no Thror. Almost half of their family was gone, and that's why Thorin had vowed to keep those still alive safe until he was dead.

It was dark around him. The quickest way to the cells required running through a field and that particular field was deserted and pitch black. He had to be careful not to trip and waste time -he had already wasted enough time- because all that mattered to him at that moment were Kili and Fili. They had been locked in cells for a couple of days, and Mahal knows how they had been treated!

And his nephews stealing something? Thorin rolled his eyes. Fili and Kili stole something? It was more likely to Thorin see Dwalin in a dress than see Fili and Kili steal something. Only once they had stolen a cookie from their mother, but they had been mere dwarflings then. So what could possibly drive them to stole a jewelry from some lady? They had enough money with them to survive.

Thorin sighed as he kept running. If some guard had done as much as laid a finger on his nephews, he would regret it deeply. But Thorin also knew that if some of them had hurt Kili, Fili would have taken care that they would not do it again, and vice versa. He hoped with all his heart that they were okay.

In the distance the lights of the cells broke the darkness and Thorin smirked to himself. Few minutes anymore, and he'd meet his nephews again.

* * *

Fili grimaced as the guard opened his mouth again. He couldn't wait to hear what stupid thing would come out of that hole again.

"If you come peacefully, I promise your deaths will be as painless as they can", the guard said in a cold tone. Fili couldn't help a dry laugh.  
"Do you really think we'd fall for that? Seriously? That's.. brainless. Even from a fool like you."

The guard smirked without any emotion. "I am not kidding, you know. I might even spare your lives for now."

This time it was Kili's time to react. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was to go to sleep for a year, but Fili needed some backup. And honestly? He didn't want to miss anything of the upcoming events, and neither he wanted to be left out of them. So despite all his aches and pains, he grinned and then laughed. "I would believe everything over that. Even-" Kili stopped to cough, and the hard coughs made his sides remind of the constant pain. "Even 'hey, an unicorn' would convince me more than that earlier sentence."

"Nobody asked you", the guard snapped, glaring Kili. "You worthless dwarf. Look how weak you are! A few hits and you're struggling to breath-"

Guard's sentence was cut as Fili let out a yell and shot at the guard. "Enough talking!" he hissed as their bodies collided and they both went down with a crash. Fili started throwing punches at the guard, who successfully blocked most of them.

Fili cried out as the guard got a grip of his wrist and twisted it so hard Fili had to roll off of the guard to prevent his wrist from snapping broken. The guard was sitting on top of the dwarf's back in a second, grabbing his shoulders and yanking them up with such a force it made Fili cry out.

Desperate to help his brother, Kili struggled up on his wobbly feet and threw himself at the guard, trying to wrest him down. The guard had to let go of the older dwarf in order order to attack Kili. As soon as the guard set Fili's shoulders free, Kili fell back, out of the guard's reach. Fili took the opportunity to kick the guard off, managing to do so.

Kili's sides felt like they were on fire as he crawled away from the fighting duo, not wanting to cause them any more problems by getting caught. Fili could handle it, Kili reminded himself. If he got caught now, Fili would have to surrender in order to save Kili's life for a few more hours. And that was not an option.

Fili rolled over to lay on his back and kicked the man again, this time to his knee. The guard cried out and Fili had time to get up before the guard launched himself at Fili again. The guard's fist hit Fili's chin and Fili's head snapped back, but Fili quickly forgot the throbbing pain and shoved the guard with all his power. He needed a few seconds to draw out his dagger.

And well, Fili got his two seconds. Because instead of going after Fili again, the guard turned his head to Kili, who was now laying on the grass, out of breath.

"No!" Fili yelled in panic as the guard took the few required steps to Kili and practically jumped on him. Kili cried out in pain and tried to double in order to ease the pain, but the guard's body pretty much prevented him from moving. Kili found it hard to breathe under the weight of the grown man and his sides sent hot waves of pain through his whole body.

Kili weakly hit the man with his good hand, trying his best not to think about the pain.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the guard cried out in agony and fell on his another side, his leg still on Kili. The younger Durin quickly backed away from the man, panting heavily, black dots dancing in front of his vision. He saw Fili kneeling down next to the guard, yanking the dagger out of his ribs and hitting with again and again until the guard stopped screaming. And then the familiar blackness swallowed the youngest Durin, and the pain went away.

* * *

Fili was out of breath by the time he was sure that the man in front of him was dead. His hands were sore and shaky, and he let the bloody dagger he had been holding fall out of his hand. He had killed someone.

Quickly he remembered his brother. "Kili", he breathed out as he spun around only to see his brother's limp body in front of him. "No, no, not again. Kili, wake up!"

He laid his palm on Kili's cheek and smiled at his unconscious little brother. _If Kili wakes up now he'll see a smile, not a dead_ _body_, Fili thought and gently shook his brother's head. "Kili, wake up. I know it's nice in there, nothing hurts and so on, but I need you here, okay?"

The sound of someone breathing snapped Fili out of his worried trance, and his face shot upwards. Someone was running from the darkness, coming at them.

"Not another guard, please", Fili sighed, sounding comfortless. He was sick of the guards, sick of every man, sick of being constantly worried or/and afraid, sick of seeing Kili get hurt. He just wanted to get Kili into safety and sleep. _  
_

But the figure that came out of the darkness wasn't another guard nor it was another man. "Uncle?"

The smile that had been on Thorin's face as he came of the darkness quickly faded as he noticed the condition of the brothers and the dead guard next to them. It looked like it took all of Thorin's self control not to kick and hit the dead man.. well, that's how it probably was.

"Fili! What happened? Are you okay?" Thorin asked in near-panic as he fell on his knees next to his nephews. He laid his arm over Fili's shoulders and pulled his older nephew into a hug before Fili couldn't even answer, and for Fili's surprise he soon felt tears streaming down his face.

"I- we, the woman said we stole the jewelry, and the guard beat Kil-"  
"Shhh", Thorin whispered, holding Fili closely. "It's alright now. I am here and they won't touch you ever again, I'll make sure of it."  
"But I killed him!" Fili yelled, almost roughly pulling himself out of Thorin's embrace. "I stabbed him because he hurt Kili, and he's dead! I killed someone, uncle, and I- I don't want to be a murderer, I don't want to be like them!"

Thorin shook his head, placing his both hands on Fili's shoulders. He looked Fili in the eyes and Fili did the same. "Listen to me, Fili. You are not like them, and never will be. What you did was self-defense, I know it. You did it to protect your brother. It was the right thing to do."

"Are you sure?" Fili asked, sounding like a child again. Thorin only wondered how bad the last few days had been for the older one; Fili was usually a brave dwarf, and now he cried like a dwarfling. Thorin felt anger rise inside him -if only the guard was still alive.. Thorin would have made him pay for doing this to his nephews.

"I am sure", Thorin softly said and smiled. "But we must help Kili now, Fili. What happened to him?"

Thorin gave Fili one last squeeze before turning to see Kili. Mahal, he looked bad. He was pale and his face was full of scrapes and bruises, and Thorin knew that there were probably more injuries underneath his clothes. Once more he felt like torturing the guard who did this slowly to death.

Fili scratched his head as he eyed his little brother and thought. "Umm.. he, he broke his wrist. And he's been thrown around quite a bit so he's quite bruised. He told me his sides hurt so I think his ribs may be.. a bit cracked. But I pray that he's only bruised."

"I believe Oin can tell us more when we get back home", Thorin sighed, laying his hand on Kili's and curling his fingers around Kili's. It was the only comfort he could give to the youngest of them without accidentally hurting him.

"How are we going to be able to get home without ponies and with Kili in that condition?" Fili cried out, not caring how childish he might have sounded or looked. He was just too tired for that. Too frustrated, too angry, too worried. He just felt like hugging his uncle for eternity, because he had come. He had known where they were and he had come to rescue them.

"Go to sleep, Fili", Thorin quietly said and shook his head a bit. "You two are no good half dead. I will stay up and hurt everyone that comes a bit too close to you, so you're safe. We'll leave when the first beam of light appears to lighten our path back to city and then home."

Fili smiled, nodding. "Wake me up if something happens", Fili muttered before making his way next to his brother. Soon, side by side, they both slept.

_TCB_

* * *

Review! I think one more chapter and an epilogue and then we're done with this fic :)


	7. Chapter 7

An: So, I'm back. I had the last day at work today, and to be honest, I'm happy it's over.

I would have had the time to write sooner, since I was (and still am) sick and had to come straight home from work in order to get well. That's also the reason why I _didn't_ write earlier than tonight. I have a killer-cold and plus that, I've been exhausted every day for couple of weeks now, no matter how much or how little I sleep at night. So, after work I always came home and just slept for hours. I just haven't felt good enough to do anything, really. Not even write. The tiredness I could handle, but when this cold came around as well.. Oh well, I hope it passes soon so I can start to enjoy my holiday.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

**There will be an epilogue after this chapter, **but I added _the end_ to the end, because well, isn't epilogue like an extra chapter? Anywayysss, no panic, one more is coming. :) Thank you to everyone who reviewed, liked or followed!

* * *

When Kili woke up, it was still pitch black. The first thing he noticed was that there was someone holding him. Kili didn't even have to look who it was to know - he could feel Fili's arm gently around his body and their feet touching. The warmth of his brother's body spread nicely to his own body too, and for a second he just enjoyed the feeling of safety. A faint memory of Fili stabbing the guard made Kili smirk to himself. They really were safe, for now, at least.

But then Kili spotted a figure in the darkness. The figure was pretty close, but he -Kili assumed it was a he- sat in the darkness so Kili could just barely see him. The nice, warm feeling of safety disappeared immediately and near panic took place. The man had his face to the brother's, but surely hadn't noticed Kili being awake yet.

Kili bolted up as fast as he could with his hurt sides and the figure flinched. "Kili?" Echoed a soft whisper. "What are you doing awake?"

It took a few seconds to realize who the one lurking in the shadows was. "Thorin?" Kili asked, quickly glancing at his brother who shifted a bit in his sleep, disturbed by the sudden movement. Kili's gaze traveled back to their uncle, who had now gotten up and was heading towards him. "What are you doing here?"

Thorin sat back down as he got to Kili. The youngest Durin could now see his uncle better, and the genuine smile on his lips made Kili feel relieved: they were safe.

"I got a letter from Daín, saying that you hadn't yet arrived. So I came to look for you and your brother, in case something bad had happened", Thorin explained, eyeing him carefully. "I am glad I came in time."

Kili let out a chuckle that made his throat burn a little. He was thirsty. "You came not too late, even though earlier would have been better."

Mahal, he really was thirsty. All the other aches had drawn his attention away from his thirstiness and hunger, but now that he was almost free from the worst pains, his other problems got a hold of him. Kili groaned. Couldn't he get just a moment of peace from everything uncomfortable?

"What's wrong?" Thorin asked, hoping that the answer wasn't something he couldn't handle at that moment. Seeing his nephews in pain was pain for him, too, since sometimes he considered them more as his own boys than his sister's. Not that it mattered - Fili and Kili would always be the two most important things in his life, even if they weren't his sons or related at all.

It took a couple of seconds before Kili answered. "I am just hungry and I need water. Nothin' I couldn't overcome."

Thorin snorted and crossed his arms. "You don't survive without water, Kili. Not even if you were healthy and didn't have injuries. When did you last get something to drink?"

"Umm", Kili blurt out, ducking his head. "I'm not entirely sure. Day or two, maybe? Yes, not yesterday but the day before that."  
"And food?" Thorin continued his asking, noticing that Kili had lost some weight. Not too much, but little bit.  
"The same day. I- I threw it up yesterday, though. What was left of it in my stomach, anyways. Not that there was much."

That made Thorin shake his head. For others it might have looked like disappointment, but it was pure anger. Thorin didn't want to explode in front of his nephews when it would make no good, and there was nobody to punish at that moment. He had never liked men much, but this lowered them even more. Men betrayed each other and they did unimaginable things. Men were greedy and had lust for something that wasn't theirs, they stole and they murdered. They did things that even _elves_ wouldn't do.

"What about Fili, then? Did he get the same amounts of food and water than you?"

Thorin wasn't surprised when Kili shook his head; it was guessable. "He got a little bit more. He, umm, the guard seemed to hate me and gave Fili water more often. Sometimes Fili sneaked the water into my cell, though, but he couldn't do that every time. And they didn't beat Fili, so he was in better shape and didn't throw up the food or water afterwards like I did. But even he grew weaker, he slept a lot, and his head ached almost every day."

"You need to get fluids", Thorin sighed, glancing at his youngest nephew. "Luckily I have a little bit water left. But the flask is in the bag that is on the pony I came here with - you'll have to wait until morning to get it."

"Few more hours is bearable", Kili laughed, but his sore throat quickly turned his laughter into a coughing fit. Thorin gave Kili a warm smile as he soon relaxed again, drawing a deep breath in.

"Go back to sleep, Kili", Thorin told the youngest Durin, "It's not long until dawn. I will wake you both up by then."

Kili obeyed, resting his back against the soft grass again. He flashed his uncle a grin before turning his head at his brother and pulling Fili's hand over his stomach again. Fili stirred because of the movement but didn't wake up, and soon they both were asleep again.

Thorin sighed, relaxing against the ground. He had learned that the world was evil when he had been just a young dwarf, a bit older than Fili was now. And with experiences of the harsh world he had promised to keep Kili and Fili safe as long as he could, he had promised not to let them see how twisted the world was. But sometimes promises were meant to get broken.

* * *

The cool liquid ran down Kili's throat as he drank like he had never seen water before. The water immediately made him feel better in every way - his throat didn't hurt anymore and he felt more energetic. Naturally he spared a little less than half of the water to Fili, who also drank with pleasure.

Thorin stood next to them and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Kili and Fili exchanged a questioning look before Fili dared to touch their uncle.

The oldest of them snapped out of his thoughts and blinked a few times as he turned his gaze to his nephews. "I'm sorry."  
"It's okay", Fili started. "We are just wondering.. what happens now?"

Kili eyed first Fili and then Thorin, keeping his achy wrist tightly against his body. In his other hand he held a bag of apples - big, juicy, red apples that Thorin had bought from the nearest market for them. The village was starting to live again, people were opening their stores and walking around, doing whatever the wanted or needed to do. The peaceful sounds of chatting and walking echoed from everywhere around them.

"We're going back home. I cannot send you to Daín in that condition - I think that Daín will probably come to see you there."

The rumble inside Kili's stomach won, and Kili opened the bag of apples, pulling out two of them as Fili spoke again. "Good. I miss home."

Kili gave Fili the other apple and kept the other one to himself, enjoying the feeling of eating. He realized that you never appreciate anything that you have before you've lost it, and he now saw food in a different light. Food was his true love from now on.

"When do we leave?" Kili asked, taking his eyes off of the apple. "I can't wait to leave this place behind."

Thorin nodded and took the empty flask from Fili. "I understand. I will get us more water and more food for you two, and then we are free to go. Wait for me here, I will return soon."

"Could you bring something else than only vegetables?" Fili wanted to know. "I miss meat."  
"Your mother will surely cook you a big dinner when we arrive home", Thorin sighed, shaking his head at Fili's never-ending lust for meat. Everybody always thought that Kili was the one that ate a lot, but reality was different. Kili could spent hours without eating when Fili would constantly ask for another snack.

Kili grinned as Thorin disappeared of his vision. Fili turned to see his brother, worry on his face. Kili caught Fili's concerned expression in time and took a step backwards, lifting his good hand a bit up in the air. "I promise, Fili, I'm okay. No need to ask or to make sure."

"That is not what I meant to say", Fili replied, rolling his eyes. "I meant to tell you that you look like crap. Really. You have to ride the pony back home - after last night I'm not going to let you walk one meter."

"I walked here without any trouble, Fili", Kili sighed and glared at his older brother. "Stop treating me like I'm three. I'm almost as old as you."  
"I can't help it", Fili answered and let out a dry laugh. "Because, well, you kinda act like you're three sometimes."

Kili laughed. "You know what? If I am three, you're seven. Not so old either."  
"Always older than you, though."

The attack from Kili was not something Fili had expected. Kili forced Fili's head down to his armpit and ruffled Fili's hair despite Fili's struggle. Kili might have been weak from all the aches and pains and uncomfortable feelings, but he still could beat Fili in a surprise-fight.

"Let go of me!" Fili yelled, yanking his head free from Kili's tight grip. "You are a maniac, Kili!"

As Fili took a step backwards and glared Kili angrily, the younger brother was almost on the ground from all the laughing. Making Fili angry was always fun for some reason - and knowing that Fili couldn't be angry at him for more than minutes was a huge plus.

"Laugh all you want, but I warn you - when you get better, I will make you regret doing that", Fili said, now smirking himself a little bit. "Really!"  
"Of course, Fili. It'll take time, though, because my wrist will be probably healing for a month."

"I can wait", Fili told his brother and crossed his arms in front of himself, grin still on his lips. "Just wait and see."

* * *

Kili laid on his bed, his stomach full and his bruises and injuries dealt with. Oin had given him some herbs to drink as tea, supposedly they'd help with any kinds of pain.

The moon was high on the sky already and everyone else seemed to be sleeping. A peaceful snoring echoed from the other side of the room where Fili slept.

Kili grinned as he thought about their arrival back home. Their mother had been on the edge of killing someone when she had seen the condition of her boys - she had sent Thorin to get Oin immediately and she had started to cook them a big, delicious meal, while Fili and Kili went to clean themselves up to their room.

That had been the first time Kili saw the reality of his injuries. He hadn't gotten time to look at his body after the guard...

Anyways. Kili was relieved his bruises were not as bad as they felt like. His sides and back were blue and sore, but nothing shined in the colors of yellow, black or red. That would've been worth worrying. He had lost some weight, Kili could see that himself, but that was understandable, given the situation.

Fili, on the other hand, had survived pretty much un-bruised. Well, naturally he had something, especially from the fight between him and the guard, but nothing big or major. Just a bruise here and there and a cut on his cheek - his tiredness was what had worried Oin the most, but even that would probably go away with a good sleep.

Everyone else was sleeping but Kili. He just wasn't tired, somehow. Or, well, he was tired, but he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the picture of Fili killing the guard in front of this eyes. Or the picture of the other guard beating and kicking Kili unconscious. Or he felt the sensation of his head being held in a cool soup again, making him flinch and wake up. So no, he couldn't sleep.

Kili wondered how Fili did that. Just forgot. He had killed a man and just _slept _there like nothing had happened. Like they had never been in that prison. Kili still thought that killing the guard was the right thing to do, but still. Kili couldn't sleep even though he had only seen the act of Fili killing someone. Kili was sure that if he ever had to kill someone, he'd die too.

Suddenly he got an urge to sneak out. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he could see the moon from where his bed was, Kili didn't know, but it didn't even matter. He wanted to go out and watch the beautiful moon for a while, just Kili alone. Nights were the only time he could spend time alone just the way he wanted to.

So, silently he got got up from his bed and tip-toed to the corridor behind their door. As silently as a mouse he went down the stairs and through the lower floor. He managed to open the front door without a sound, as well, and quickly slipped outside, closing the door behind him.

The air was chilly and stood still. The moon shined down its light, somehow silvery light. That barely gave Kili enough light to navigate his way through the yard to the place where he and Fili used to train their skills with swords. The ground beneath him was smooth rock, comfortable to sit on. And from there he could see the sky and the horizon, as that rock was upper than the rest of the ground. If Kili did his best, he could even see misty mountains very far away.

Kili sighed and eyed the cast on his broken wrist. The herbs Kili had drank had helped, but their power was wearing off already. Little by little he would start to feel all his pains again, and it would be even harder to fall asleep.

"But for now, I'll just enjoy the night", Kili muttered, grinning to himself and taking a better position on the rock he sat on.

His bruised sides already tingled when Kili finally got up from the ground, after what seemed like twenty minutes or half an hour. His eyelids had grown too heavy to keep open, and even though sleeping sounded good and would feel good, Kili was still afraid to close his eyes. Mahal knows what he would see in his dreams when being awake was bad, too.

But it was a risk he had to take if he ever wanted to get better.

As silently as before he went back in and dived back into his bed. After the chilly air the warm blankets felt like heaven again, and the soft pillow against the back of his head was a blessing. Fili was still snoring on his own bed, not as soundly as before but still snoring.

Kili closed his eyes, smiling. He was home, he was in warmth, he was full, he was _safe._ He still had Fili. Everything was fine.

And no long after he fell asleep, happy that after all they had gone through they were safe again.

_The end_


	8. Chapter 8: epilogue

An: So, the epilogue aka the last chapter. I'm happy that you've liked this fic and every review has been encouraging, making this fic worth continuing. So a huge thank you to all of you!

I'll be writing more fics of Hobbit in the near future, so good news for some of you. I've had this fic for another fandom in my mind for a long time now, and I think I'll write it first before starting to plan another Hobbit fic. But anyways! Enjoy the last chapter :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Hobbit

* * *

The smell of food floated in the air inside their home. Dís had been preparing a good meal for a few hours now, humming now and then while cooking, and demanding all the men out of her way to upstairs or out. Thorin had taken a risk and asked if Dís needed any help, receiving a blow to the head with a wooden spoon.

"I don't come asking if you need help with hunting animals, Thorin!" Dís snapped with her hands on her hips. "Get out of the kitchen and do something useful, like clean up the yard like I've told for _weeks_ now."

With Fili and Kili giggling in the room next to them, Thorin left their home, cheeks red. Only Dís could boss him around, that was a fact. And so he grabbed the rake and started to clean up their yard without further questions. He did curse silently to himself, though, but didn't bother to argue with his sister.

Soon Fili and Kili found themselves bored. They had washed themselves earlier, braided Fili's hair (and his still short-ish beard) and changed into clean clothes. They were afraid to go outside, since that meant walking through the kitchen where their mother was cooking, and there was nothing to do inside the house. The only thing left for them to do was to simply wait for Daín to arrive.

It had been two and half weeks since Thorin had rescued them, and this was the day Daín was meant to come visit them. The brothers were excited, to say at least. Most of their injuries had faded away or healed nicely - all expect Kili's wrist, of course. They both had gained some weight (which was good if you asked Dís, those two were so skinny that a few more kilos did nothing bad) and Fili had started to get some peace from the nightmares he had been having. Things were good.

"This is so boring", Kili groaned. "We've been sitting this whole day! We can't go out, and even if we dared go past mom, we couldn't practice shooting or fighting. We have absolutely nothing to do."

Fili smirked, nodding as he sat on his bed, facing his brother. Kili couldn't do anything with his broken wrist - especially not shoot with his bow or fight. "A few more weeks and you'll be able to practice with me again", Fili told his younger sibling even though he already knew it.

Kili decided just to shrug and brush it off. They couldn't help the boredom now, so why whine about it?

Silence fell on them for a heartbeat before Fili opened his mouth again. "When do you think Daín will come?"

In his letter to Thorin, Daín had told he would arrive soon after mid-day, when the sun was high on the sky. There was maybe an hour or so until mid-day, so they had just enough time to die of boredom before Daín would come.

"When he promised to come. Have you ever heard that Daín was late from something?" Kili laughed, ducking his head. "Yeah, me neither."

"Poor uncle", Fili continued, glancing out of the window of theirs. He could see Thorin's back as he stood outside with the rake and watched the scenery. Most of the yard was cleaned already, and it seemed like Thorin had just decided to take a break. "Have you noticed how he just can't argue with mom?"

Kili nodded, looking out of the window as well before turning his head back to Fili. "Nobody gets to argue with mom. Whatever she says, it happens. Not even uncle gets a free-pass from her." A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"She's a Durin. I think it's natural for Durins' to be stubborn", Fili added with a smirk. "Mahal, it really is boring."

"And my hair is messy", Kili sighed as he pushed his hair behind his ears. "It keeps falling on my face."

"When doesn't it?" Fili laughed, leaning forward on his bed. As an answer he got an angry glare from his younger brother - a faked angry glare, but still.

Kili shook his head, relaxing against the wall behind his back. They could hear Dís humming again, this time an old nursery song. It was a little creepy song, to be honest, but it reminded them of their younger years, when they were just a little dwarflings. Fili smiled as he somehow remembered the one time he accidentally fell asleep on Thorin's lap, listening to him hum that song. Thank Mahal he had been just a child when it happened.

"Okay", Fili sighed with a smile. "I can do your hair. Just bring me your hair clip, I assure you that most of them will stay out of your face then."

A smile flashed across Kili's face. He would never admit it, but he loved the feeling of someone doing his hair. "Fine."

* * *

Not long after the dinner was ready, Daín arrived. Both brothers were already outside when he came to the yard with his ride - a white pony with black dots on it. Fili had hard time containing his joy when he saw Daín, but Kili didn't even bother to hide it. As typical Kili, he ran to hug Daín before he could even say hello.

Daín was a warrior, but he also had a soft side. That side made him a visitor that everyone of them looked forward to, and this time hadn't been any different.

"Uff, Kili, nice to see you too", Daín blurt out as he returned the hug. "Happy to see that you're well and healthy."  
"Happy to see you", Kili laughed, pulling away from the older dwarf. "And I'm glad you came here, since our.. journey, didn't end so well. I think mother will let us go nowhere anymore, at least not without her looking after us."

"That's a strong possibility, if I know Dís at all", Daín smiled and shook his head.

"Hello, Daín", Fili interrupted, stepping closer to the other two, flashing a grin to Daín. "It's been a long time."  
"Too long", Daín agreed as he pulled Fili into an embrace.

"Here you are!" Dís' yell interrupted them. "Come inside, the food is getting cold!"

* * *

The food had been good. Dís was a multi-talented dwarf: she could fight and defend herself and the others, but she also could prepare delicious meals and liked doing household works.

Dís had been eyeing their visitor the whole time, happy to see him after a long, long time. Thorin, as usually, spoke only when he had something meaningful to say, as Fili, Kili and Daín had just chit-chatted about everything.

"Fili actually did my hair today", Kili smiled, turning around on the chair so everyone else could see. "This is way better than keeping my hair just open like I've done before. I think I might start keeping it like this."

Dís laughed and nodded. "I've told you many times that you should start keeping it braided or something, it's always on your face."

"Not anymore, it seems", Daín replied and gave Kili a wink. "Nice job, Fili."

The older brother grinned as a thanks and continued eating as Dís opened her mouth to speak again. Fili couldn't remember when they had had this social dinner before, but he liked it. Everyone was cheerful and happy and there was enough food to fill everyone's stomach.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what actually happened? I know the story from what I heard from Thorin in his letter, but I think it only scratched the surface", Daín asked, sitting on the table with all the others.

Fili and Kili exchanged a quick look before nodding.

"What did Thorin tell you?" Dís suddenly asked, looking curious. They had all eaten their meals already, only the empty plates were in front of them.

"Well, that some woman had accused you of stealing something from her, so you were thrown to a cell. And that they had been violent, but that's about all he told", Daín replied, glancing at Thorin before turning his head to Fili and Kili. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear your story."

"I guess we don't mind", Kili said, sounding unsure. He would have preferred to just forget it, but Daín deserved to know. They had been on their way there, for Mahal's sake!

Fili nodded, ducking his head. He didn't want to relive killing the guard again - Thorin had many times told him that if he hadn't killed the guard, Thorin would have, but it wasn't helping as much as it should have been. Fili knew that the guard deserved to die, but the picture of his hands thrusting the dagger inside his body over and over again was too much for him to bear.

"We booked a room from one inn", Kili started, and everyone fell quiet to listen.

Soon cold shivers ran down Daín spine. Their story hadn't even fully started and it was already horrible.

_..tied me up and hit Kili, and no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't get free and help him._

_I spat on his face! ..Which was a mistake, but still. He deserved it. _

_The guard came in and beat Kili. I tried to help, I really tried, but he was big. __S__ome other guard took me away to another cell, but later we found a way to communicate. _

_..held my head in the soup so I couldn't breathe. I thought he'd kill me, but no. Thank Mahal, no._

_I've never felt so scared. I was scared for my life, but most of all, scared for Kili. I couldn't help him in any way. _

_I was so hungry all the time. And Fili was tired, so he slept a lot. And when he didn't sleep, we whispered through the little hole. Fili gave me some of his water, as well. It always helped for an hour or two, until I threw up._

_..took Kili away! But I found my dagger, picked the lock open and ran after them. _

_I lost consciousness soon, but when I woke up, Fili was there. And we ran again._

_Thorin found us. _

Daín couldn't help but think that these two dwarves were crazy. Maybe brave, but completely and utterly crazy. Kili more than Fili! Why on earth would he spit at the guards and talk back to them, when in that situation the best way to survive is just keep low profile and obey?

The story left all the others a bit wordless. Dís had heard the story, yes, but never with this much detail. And now all she wanted to do was to hug her sons (or torture the guard, but he was already gone) because his little boys had been through all that? Even Dís herself hadn't been in a situation like that and she was much older than those two troublemakers.

Thorin ducked his head, feeling somewhat empty. He hadn't dared to ask for the story, he had only heard what the brothers had told Dís. So most of the story had been a mystery for him, until now. And to be honest, he would have been happier not knowing all that. But what can you do? Once heard cannot be un-heard.

"You did well", Daín softly said, a gentle smile on his lips. "You got out alive. Not many would have, I think."

Dís nodded with reassuring hand on Fili's back. "You were brave. But I never expected any less from you."

"Thanks", Kili muttered, ducking his head. It felt like the wounds had been re-opened. But they deserved to know - and speaking helped. Kili didn't feel as scared anymore as he had felt earlier. He didn't feel as guilty.

Fili glanced at his mother and smiled at her. "I know. We did our best."

* * *

Kili grinned as he examined his wrist. He had gotten the cast off that day, and even though his wrist felt a little un-moving and numb and somehow weird, it was an awesome feeling. Fili had made his hair again that morning -he liked the way Fili did it, so he seriously considered keeping it like that from now on- but tomorrow he could try to make it himself, since the cast was off and he could move his wrist again.

"This is only good news, Kili", Fili laughed, "day or two and we can go shooting and fighting again."

A nod from Kili. "I know. It sucks, though, not being able to go immediately. It still needs time to regain it's full force and flexibility. I can hardly move it now."

"We'll survive", Fili replied, a grin still on his lips.

They were sitting outside, because the day was warm. Sun was high on the sky and shined down on them, making them feel comfortable. Neither of them liked cold or chilly air.

Suddenly a familiar man approached them. He was still far, but they could see who it was - the mailman of the nearby town of men. Whenever they got a letter, he was the one who brought it. And he always wore the same grey uniform and rode on the same black horse.

"Fili and Kili, good day", the man greeted them and jumped down from his horse. "A beautiful day, isn't it?"

"It is", Fili replied and stood up, Kili following soon behind. "You have something for us?"

The man nodded. "Aye. A letter for the Durin brothers Fili and Kili, here you go", he said, handing a letter to Fili, who happened to stand closer to him.

"Thank you", Kili said, snatching the letter from Fili's hands. "Who is it from?"

"I dunno", the man said as he climbed back on to his horse. "We mailmans don't have the permission to open the letters, lad. It's a crime, ya know. But I will have to continue my way, so good day and see you again some day."

"Hope so", Fili replied, grabbing the letter back, starting to open it. "Don't touch it, I'll open it."

"And who says you get to open it?" Kili asked in a loud voice and crossed his arms. "You don't get to do everything just because you're older than me."

Fili just shrugged and continued ripping it open. Soon enough he could get the paper that was inside, and for both of their surprise, some money fell out. Kili went to pick them up as Fili opened the paper that was bent in half.

"It's from Daín", Fili told Kili. Kili shifted on his feet, getting a little excited as he counted the money.  
"And this is a lot money", Kili said in shock, thrusting the money into his pocket. "Could you read the letter out loud?"

_Dear Kili and Fili, _

_I wrote you this letter to tell what has happened in the town you got arrested in. After your story, I sent  
some of my men there, just to make sure the woman would get what she deserves. Today they came back,  
and told me that while you had been there, the head-guard had been away. He had came back a few days  
after you escaped, and was shocked by what he found out. He is terribly sorry for what has happened to you,  
and he has arrested the woman. _

_Fili, just so you know, no one is accusing you of killing the guard. Nothing will be done to you for doing that.  
The head-guard had told my men that your actions will be counted as self-defense, and you had to kill him in order to  
protect yourself and your hurt brother._

_Kili, the head-guard sends his best wishes and hopes that you are okay. My men told him that you've healed well, and  
he was genuinely relieved of that. The head-guard hopes to meet you (and Fili) some day, so he could tell how sorry he is.  
He says that this should have not happened, and the guard that Fili only stabbed, will also get a punishment. _

_The money in the envelope are from the people in the village. You do not have to accept the money if you feel like it, but  
it only shows how sorry they are. Share it between you two; Kili, you might even get a few more arrows with that amount  
of money, and Fili, I believe you'll get a nice new sword with half of that money. _

_Best wishes, _

_Daín II Ironfoot _

Kili smirked as Fili bent the letter in half again and sighed. "Wow. Who thought that would happen? That someone actually feels bad for us?" Kili wondered, feeling happy but unsure at the same time.

"But isn't it just a good thing? That not all men are .. like _that_. That even someone knows we didn't deserve it."

"I see no downsides to it", Kili chuckled, shaking his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the coins. "Come on, lets split the money. _That_ we deserve."


End file.
